A footballing legend admitted his love of Arsenal stopped him from signing for their biggest rival
Moving to a rival club is something that traditionally doesn't sit well with supporters in football, and understandably so. For legendary AC Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta, it was his affection for Arsenal that prevented him from putting pen to paper on a deal to join Tottenham Hotspur.
After spending 21 years with the Italian powerhouse, the 59-year-old secured seven Serie A championships and lifted the Champions League trophy on five occasions.
Considering his reputation as one of the finest defenders on the planet during his playing days and Milan's struggles in the mid-1990s, Costacurta had multiple chances to explore new opportunities elsewhere.
Most notably, a switch to the white side of north London nearly became reality after discussions with then-Spurs manager Gerry Francis in 1996 about the eye-catching transfer from Milan to the capital.
Speaking in 2016 before an AC Milan vs Arsenal legends fixture, Costacurta - who hung up his boots in 2007 following his Champions League final triumph over Liverpool - revealed that a move to Spurs never materialised due to his lifelong devotion to the Gunners.
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"The idea of living in London was very exciting," Costacurta told Arsenal.com. "But I finally refused and you know why? Because I couldn't betray my English love. The truth is that I've been a keen Arsenal fan since my childhood, and playing for 'our' bitter rivals would have been high treason.
"When I was younger I liked the Arsenal shirt, the stadium, and some of the players from the 1980s such as Liam Brady. And I've always gone against the tide. All my friends were Manchester United or Liverpool fans, so I picked Arsenal and I've never changed my mind."
Despite claiming 24 major trophies throughout his illustrious career, it was remarkably his outing at Highbury during the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup that stood out as amongst his most cherished memories.
He recalled: "The first game is possibly one of the favourite matches of my entire career. Not so much because of the game itself, which was very intense but perhaps not very exciting as the final score was a 0-0 and the only time we were really under threat was at set pieces.
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"It was more for the setting of Highbury. [The] Emirates is wonderful and over time it will gain its own mythical aura, but Highbury was unique." The fierce north London foes go head-to-head at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the second derby meeting of the campaign.